Collapsible trunk, suitcase, and the like



Nov. 30 1926. I 1,608,511

E. N. KENNEDY COLLAPSIBLE TRUNK, SUITCASE, AND THE LIKE- Filed April l71925 anoe/ntoz EN. Kennedy M "w v Patented Nov. 30, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ERNEST NOEBERT KENNEDY, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

GQLLAPSIBLE TRUNK, SUITCASE, AND THE LIKE.

Application filed April 17, 1925.

This invention relates to trunks, suitcases, and the like of the kindwhich comprises two telescopically arranged parts adapted to beconnected together by means of extensible I fastening devices, so thatwhen the trunk or suitcase has been packed, the two parts thereof may becollapsed, or pressed one toward the other, so as to securely hold thecontents against undesired movement, the fastening devices being soarranged as to hold the two parts of the trunk, suitcase or the like inany telescoped or collapsed condition of the parts thereof.

A trunk or suitcase of this kind has been disclosed in my prior PatentNo. 1,508,142

issued September 9, 1924.

In trunks 0r suitcases of this kind some difiiculty may be experiencedin opening or swinging the upper part or lid about the extensible hingedevices between thesame and the lower part of the trunk or suitcase,particularly in the fully telescoped or collapsed condition of theparts, if the parts fit closely together and the front walls thereof areperpendicular to the top and bottom walls respectively of said parts.This difliculty is avoided in the patent above mentioned by making theparts of the suitcase of rhombic cross section with the front and rearwalls of the parts parallel but inclined with re spect to the top andbottom walls.

The object of the present invention is to provide a form or forms oftrunk, suitcase, or the like of the telescopic Or collapsible kindindicated above, having the parts thereof arranged so that the one partor lid may be readily swung about the hinge devices between the same andthe other part, even in the fully telescoped or collapsed condition ofthe parts.

According to the invention the upper part or lid of the suitcase or thelike is made of somewhat greater width than the lower part, and ayieldable, compressible, or elastic means is provided arranged to closethe space between the parts of the suitcase at the front side thereof,in any telescoped position of said parts, the swinging of the upper partor lid being facilitated either by the yielding,

or the'compression, of said means, or by suitably shaping the front wallof one of the suitcase parts.

The invention is illustrated in different Serial No. 23,766.

forms thereof in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a diagrammatic representation of a collapsible or telescopicsuitcase constructed according to the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a similar view of the suitcase showing the upper part or lidpartially swung toward open position,

Flg. 3 is a similar view to Figure 1 but showing a somewhat modifiedform of suitcase, and

Fig. 4 is a detail view of a further modificatlon.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2 the suitcase comprises the lower part 1 andthe upper part or lid 2, the latter being arranged to fit over the lowerpart and to assume different telescoped or collapsed positionsrelatively thereto, according to the extent to which said lower part ispacked with clothes or the like.

The two parts 1 and 2 of the suitcase are adapted to be connectedtogether by means of extensible fastening devices which as showncomprise extensible hinge devices 3 at the rear of the suitcase andextensible lockmg devices 4 at the front of the suitcase.

These extensible fastening devices may be of any suitable form, forexample the form shown in the prior patent above referred to, or theform shown in the copending application Serial No. 23,768, filed April17, 1925. So far as the present invention is concerned it is sutficientto state that these extensible devices comprise two parts 5 and 6, oneof which is provided with a ratchet rack element while the other isprovided with a pawl element adapted to engage said rack element in theclosed or locked condition of the parts shown in Fig. 1 in order toprevent extension of said fastening devices and to hold the parts of thesuitcase securely in the telescoped or collapsed condition thereof. Theparts 5 of these fastening devices are secured to the upper part or lidof the suitcase and the parts 6 of the hinge devices are pivotallyconnected to hinge members 7 secured to the lower part of the suitcase.The parts 6 of the locking devices 4 have pivotally connected to thelower ends thereof hasp members 8 adapted to coact with suitable locks 9secured to the lower part 1 of the suitcase. When the hasps 8 arereleased from the locks and turned by suitable springs into the positionshown in Fig. 2 the pawl elements are released from the rack elements sothat the parts 6 may be extended, and when the lid 2 is swung about thehinge members 7 the pawls of the parts 6 of the hinge devices arereleased from their rack elements so that the parts 5 and 6 may beextended. lVhen the lid 2 is swung back into the closed position shownin Fig. 1 and the hasps 8 are engaged with the locks 9 the pawl elementsare in engagement with the rack elements and the lid 2 may be presseddown to such extent as may be necessary to securely hold the contents ofthe suitcase between the two parts 1 and 2 thereof, the pawl elementsengaging the ratchet racks'to securely hold the upper part or lidagainst upward movement.

According to the present invention the upper part or lid 2 of thesuitcase is made sufficiently wider than the lower part 1 of thesuitcase as to permit said upper part or lid to be readily swung aboutthe pivots of the hinge members 7 even when the parts 1 and 2 are in thefully telescoped or collapsed condition indicated in Fig. 2. Thisarrangement provides a space 10 between the front walls 11 and 12 of thesuitcase parts, and means are provided for closing this space so as toprevent ingress of dust or dirt, and to prevent the escape and loss ofany small article from the suitcase. Such means may comprise for examplea tubular n ember 13 of rubber or any other elastic or compressiblematerial, but the invention is 1101., restricted to any specific form ofsuch means, as any suitable means capable of closing the space betweenthe suitcase parts, without interfering with the swinging of the part 2of the suitcase about the hinge members 7, may be provided. The element13 may be secured to the front wall 11 of the lid 2 in any suitablemanner, such for example as by stitching or riveting, and it will beseen that this element acts to close the space 10 between the walls 11and 12 in any telescoped or collapsed position of the parts 1 and 2.This element 13 being of a compressible or yieldable material is adaptedto give or yield to such an extent as may be necessary during theswinging or opening of the lid 2, to accommodate the decreasing distancebet-ween the lower partof the front wall 11 of the lid and the frontwall 12 of the lower part 1 as will be clear from Fig. 2. This figureshows the lid 2 partially swung toward open position in thesubstantially fully collapsed condition of the parts of the suitcase,the line of movement of the lower part of said wall 11 being indicatedby the dotted line 141 and the element 13 being shown in a compressed oryielding condition between the lower part of the wall 11 and the upperpart of the wall 12.

The arrangement described thus provides complete freedom of swinging oropening movement of the lid 2 relatively to the lower part 1 whileeffectively closing the space between said parts so as to preventingress of dust or the like or the loss of articles.

In the modified form of suitcase shown in Fig. 3 the front wall 15 ofthe lower part 1 of the suitcase is shown as being upwardly andrearwardly curved Or inclined so as to permit the upper part or lid 2 ofthe suitcase to be readily swung into open position. The dot and dashlines in the figure indicate the substantially fully collapsed ortelescoped position of the upper part or lid 2 and the dotted line 16indicates the line of movement of the lower part of the front wall 11 ofsaid lid when the same is in the fully telescoped or collapsed positionthereof. With this arrangement the space 17 between the walls 11 and 15will be less in the fullytelescoped position of the parts 1 and 2 thanin the more exteneed or less telescoped position of the parts asindicated by the full lines in the figure. This space 17 is adapted tobe closed by means of a compressible or yieldable element 18 of anysuitable form which is adapted to yield or to be compressed be tween thewalls 11 and 15 in the fully telescoped position of the parts indicatedby the dotted lines and is adapted to expand or resume its normalcondition in the more ex tended or less telescoped positions of theparts 1 and 2 such as indicated by the full lines in the figure. Thiselement 18 may be secured in any suitable manner to the wall 11 of thelid 2.

It will be seen that this arrangement also facilitates the swinging oropening move ment of the upper part orlid 2 of the suitcase while theelement- 18 serves to eifectively close the space between the frontWalls in all telescoped positions of the parts.

Fig. 4: shows a modified form of means for closing the space between thewalls 11 and 12 of the suitcase parts 1 and 2. Such means comprises anelement 19 extending longitudinally of the lower part of the wall 11 andhing-edly connected thereto in any suitable manner as at 20. Suitablesprings 21 secured either to the wall 11 or to the element 19 areprovided serving to press said element 19 toward the wall 12 so thatsaid element 19 effectively closesthe space between the two walls but isadapted to yield toward the wall 11 during the swinging or openingmovement I of the upper part or 11d 2 so as not to interfere with suchswinging or opening movement. The spring pressed element 19 may beemployed in the form of-suitcase shown in Fig. 3 as well as in that formshown'in Fig. 1.

It will be understood that while the invention has been specificallydescribed as applied to a suitcase it maybe equally wellemployed inconnection with trunks or the like,

LOO

said parts at the rear thereof and the only difference in the case of atrunk being in the depth of the lower part 1 thereof.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A collapsibletrunk, suitcase or the like, comprising two telescopically arrangedparts, extensible hinge devices connecting said parts at the rearthereof and extensible fastening devices connecting said parts at thefront thereof, the front walls of said parts being spaced from eachother in such manner as to permit the one part to be swung relatively tothe other about said hinge devices, and compressible means arranged toclose the space between said walls in all telescoped positions of saidparts.

2. A collapsible trunk, suitcaseor the like, comprising twotelescopically arranged parts, extensible hinge devices connecting saidparts at the rear thereof and extensible fastening devices connectingsaid parts at the front thereof, the front walls of said parts beingspaced from each other in such manner as to permit the one part to beswung relatively to the other about said hinge devices, and an elementsecured to the outermost of said walls, and bearing against the other ofsaid walls to close the space therebetween, and capable of beingcompressed between said walls.

3. A collapsible trunk, suitcase or the like, comprising twotelescopically arranged parts, extensible hinge devices connectingextensible fastening device-s connecting said parts at the frontthereof, the front walls of said parts being spaced from each other insuch manner as to permit the one part to be swung relatively to theother about said hinge devices, and a tubular rubber element secured toone of said walls and bearing against the other of said walls to closethe space therebetween.

4. A collapsible trunk, suitcase or the like, comprising twotelescopically arranged parts, extensible hinge devices connecting saidparts at the rear thereof and extensible fastening devices connectingsaid parts at the front thereof, the front wall of the inner one of saidparts being upwardly and rearwardly inc-lined so as to permit the otherpart to be swung about said hinge devices, and an element secured to oneof said walls and arranged to be compressed between said walls in thefully telescoped position of said parts and to expand between said wallsin less telescoped positions of said parts, to close the space betweensaid walls.

5. A collapsible trunk, suitcase or the like, comprising twotelescopically arranged parts, extensible hinge devices connecting saidparts at the rear thereof and extensible fastening devices connectingsaid parts at the front thereof, the front walls of said parts beingspaced from each other in such manner as to permit the one part to beswung relatively to the other about said hinge devices, and meanssecured to one of said walls and bearing against the other of said wallsto close and adapted to yield, or be compressed, toward the first wallduring the swinging movement of said part.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

E. N ORBERT KENNEDY.

the space therebetween,

